"Far, far too long" - East Yorkshire dad on delays in eating disorder treatment
In 2021 Bridlington dad Steve Blackford lost his daughter Chelsea Blue who had suffered from an eating disorder.
Nearly half of children and young people in need of urgent care for eating disorders in England are waiting over three months for NHS treatment, analysis has suggested.
The Children's Commissioner for England found that 11,800 patients aged under 18 were undergoing treatment for eating disorders in 2022/23 - up from 5,240 in 2016/17 - and that 45% of patients had to wait more than 12 weeks to start treatment.
Steve Blackford lost his 17-year-old daughter Chelsea Blue in April 2021. She had been suffering from eating disorders since she was 13. Since then, Steve has speaking out and urging those suffering with an eating disorder to get help.
He said: "I'm quite shocked that it's coming up to three years in April next year that Chelsea passed away and there's still this everlasting waiting list for an eating disorder - three months is far, far too long."
A 2015 NHS guide said that by 2020/21 almost all urgent cases should receive treatment within a week.
Steve Blackford said: "The support that you need for an eating disorder is near enough instantaneous because it's a very intelligent illness because once it gets inside you it just grows and grows.
"The support just wasn't there for Chelsea. We do believe that if the support was there early enough we wouldn't be having this conversation now, and when the support did appear it had gone too far."
SEED is an eating disorder charity based in Hull formed in 2000 providing independent advice to facilitate recovery. They now have a Chelsea Blue therapy room in her memory.
Steve said: "There's lots of different charities out there that are all trying to help to get that early intervention but without help and funding from the government they can only do so much."
If you, or someone you know, is having a problem with an eating disorder, there’s help available from BEAT Eating Disorders - www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk or you can call them on 0808 801 0677. You can also contact SEED on their website